1001 Stuffed Pasta Recipes

Stuffed 'anything' tastes good seems to be the logic behind stuffed pastas, stuffed crust pizzas, stuffed parathas, momos, dumplings, dimsums, potstickers etc. All these were probably invented as a way to use up leftovers, but now have acquired a charm of their own. The basic skill needed is common to all these recipes – Kneading, stuffing and cooking. 

Infinite stuffed pasta shapes are possible – the dough sheet can be cut with a pastry punch into any shape of your choice. A few popular pasta shapes are listed in column 1. These stuffed parcels can be as small as you can make it or as large as you can handle. Learn to stuff and you can dream up numerous variations of your own! 

The following pasta shapes are listed in this cookbook :
0.:  Agnolotti (ann-ee- oh- lot- ee : priest’s cap ) from Piedmont.
1.: Ravioli ( raw- vee- oh-lee)
2.: Raviolini / Ravioletti ( Small / large ravioli)
3.: Capaletti (caw-pay-lay-tee : Alpine hats)
4.: Tortelli ( Tor - telly)
5.: Tortellini( Small Tortelli)
6.: Tortelloni ( Large Tortelli) 
7.:  Manti ( man- tee) from Turkey
8.: Pansotti ( Pan - so - tee)

Almost anything an be used for stuffing. Traditionally, certain shapes are specific to a region and usually use ingredients from that region.( eg greens and ricotta for Liguarian ravioli) But feel free to experiment with a variety of fillings of your choice. Some popular fillings are listed in column 3.

As stuffed pasta is rich, the sauce which accompanies it is normally light. It makes no sense in adding a rich meat sauce to a pasta stuffed with meat. Several popular sauces are listed in column 2. Feel free to experiment with other sauces.

Tips:
Knead the dough well or the dough will stretch / tear when rolling / stuffing.
Roll the dough real thin. Pasta thickness doubles on cooking.
Ensure that the fillings are not too watery. If they can be shaped into a tight ball, they usually are good for stuffing.
Wet the edges with water and press them firmly to seal. This will prevent the parcels from bursting open while being cooked.
Press down the edges so that they are real thin – or the edges will be thick and doughy on cooking.
Stuffed pasta parcels can be served with sauce or can be pan fried, deep fried, baked, added to salads, soups etc. 
Stuffed pasta freezes well and lasts for weeks. It however takes more time to cook.